Fastener construction



J. M, SUMMERS FASTENER CONSTRUCTION Aug. 7, 1945.

Filed April 21, 1944 I u /00 160 200 7 1 1 /1 1z0 140 INVENTOR.

/ fill/s Jam/11ers Patented Aug. 7, 1945 Mills Summers, Englewood, N. J., assignor to Camloc Fastener Corporation, New York, N. Y.,

a corporation of New York Application April 21, 1944, Serial No. 532,094

13 Claims.

This invention relates to fastener elements of the type known in the trade as fioating" fasteners, in that the fastener elements are adjustably supported within a retainer structure, to accommodate reasonable variations in the locations of complementary fastener elements resulting from inaccuracies of'manufacture or the cumulative additive effect of permitted manufacturing tolerances.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fastener structure consisting of'retainer and'one. or a plurality, of fastener elements removably disposed therein.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fastener structure comprising a retainer and a fastener unit, the unit having limited freedom of movement and adjustment with respect to the retainer.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved means for securing a fastener unit adjustably within a retainer structure.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fastener structure wherein a fastener element thereof may be readily removed from aretainer.

It is an object of the invention .to provide an improved retainer fOr a fastener unit/ In one practical form, the invention may comprise a channel-like'retainer characterized by a web or base and substantially vertical walls arranged in spaced relationship, the said base being provided at desired intervals with apertures to accommodate the passage of fasteners suchas bolts, machine screws, or studs.

In suitable disposition with respect to each such aperture, the walls of the retainer are provided with relatively long slots which conveniently, although not necessarily, are arranged in the plane of the base.

Operatively associated with the retainer is a fastener unit, which may be a threaded structure such as a nut, or other type such as the cam collar disclosed in my U. S. Patent No. 2,239,125. dated April 22, 1941. Said nut or cam collar rests upon the base of the retainer; the body of the nut or cam collar is provided with extending flangesor wings which, when positioned within the retainer, pass through the slit-like openings in the walls of the retainer.

To permit the fastener units to be positioned within the retainer, either one or both of the slots in the walls thereof is made considerably longer than the width of the fastener unit flange which ultimately projects therethrough. When but one of the two slots is of such extreme length, the 56 other is but slightly longer than the width-of the fastener unit flange.

To position the. fastener unit and to'secure it with respect to the retainer, the unit is placed on the web of the retainer with its wings extending substantially lengthwise of the retainer, and then rotated in the plane of the base thereof so that the wings of the unit pass through the slots of the retainer walls. The oversize slot in at least one of the walls renders it possible to insert the fastener unit in the manner stated. To secure the fastenerunits in said position, the base of the retainer adjacent that wing of the unit which passes through the oversize slot, is struck upwardly to form-a tab adjacent the wing of the fastener unit. to prevent rotation of the unit to such extent that it could again be removed from its retainer.

When both of the flanges of the retainer are provided with oversize slots, two tabs are struck from the base of the retainer, suitably adjacent each wing.

It is desirable to place the tabs in such location that upon tightening a screw into the fastener unit, if the same be a nut, the nut will rotate away from the tab, eventually to strike against the solid end wall of the slots.

In another practical embodiment, one or both of the flanges of a fastener unit may be bifurcated, and a tab or tabs struck upwardly from-the retainer suitably within the space afforded'by the bifurcation.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 isa top plan view of one form of fastener assembly according to the present invention, said figure disclosing a method of inserting a fastener unit into the retainer;

Fig. 2 is a side elevationof Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the fastener unit in secured position within the retainer;

Fig. 4 is a perspective, partly in section, showing a. fastener unit positioned within a retainer;-

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a second form of fastener assembly;

Fig. 6 is an elevation, in section along lines 6-6, of the structure of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a third form of fastener unit and retainer; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section thereof,- on lines 88 of Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing, the present invention comprises a retainer l0 and a fastener unit ll, illustratively a nut, adjustably held thereby. The retainer 10 is preferably of 'channel formation, having a base I2 and upwardly extending side walls I4, I4. The retainer may be for a, single fastener unit, or any desired plurality thereof, spaced as required; at locations to be occupied by the respective fastener units, the base of the retainer is apertured, as at I5, tdrallow for the passage of the screw or stud through the retainer for engagement with the fastener unit.

Other .apertures 9 through the retainer base accommodate a rivet or the like for securing the retainer to a structure.

In registry with said opening or openings IS, the walls I II' -jjof the retainer III are pierced with relatively long slots IE, IT, said slots desirably being generally in the plane of the base I2 of the retainer, as shown.

The fastener umt II includes a body portion 8 and flanges or wings I8 extending from op site sides thereof; upon positioning the unit within the retainer, said wings extend through the respective slots. The respective slots I6, H in the side walls, are each greater in length than the length of the immediately adjacent portion of the wings I8 of the units II, so that limited longitudinal movement of the units II with respect to the retainers I0, is permitted. Likewise, there is a similar or greater degree of permitted movement in a direction transversely of the retainer H1, said movement being limited either by eventual engagement of the sides of the flanges I8 with the endsof the respective slots, or by engagement of the body, portion 8 of the uni II with the side wallsof the retainer.

At least one of the slots, see II, Fig. l, is substantially longer th the maximum width of the associated flange I8',"and such extended length of slot permits the units to be inserted into the retainer by initially placing the unit on the base I2 of the retainer, with its longer dimension sulh" stantially parallel to the length of the retainethen rotating the unit in the plane of the re-' tainer to bring the wings I8 of the unit through the respective slots. It will be apparent that if each of the slots through the side walls of the retainer were of the length of slot I6, Fig. 1, it would be difficult to rotate the units to bring the wing portions through the respective slots.

To secure the unit II in the retainer after insertion, means are provided, limiting the rotation of the unit with respect to the retainer, so that it cannot again be displaced to a degree which would bring the wings of the unit out of the slots. A simple and highly effective way of so securing the units II is by striking up a. tab 20 from the base I2 of the retainer, thereby raising an abutment adjacent the side margin of the wing portion I8 which extends through the longer slot.

As appears from Fig. l the disposition of the tab 20 nd particularly the transverse wall thereof, reduces aperture IT to the equivalent in length, of the aperture I6.

The bore of the fastener unit, when the unit is in the inserted position illustrated in Fig. l, is in registry with the aperture I in the base of the retainer, and said aperture I5 is sufficiently large that with the unit I I displaced with respect to the retainer II) to the maximum degree provided by the dimensional clearances, there is always unrestricted communication through the base of the retainer I2 to the bore of the fastener unit II.

When the fastener unit is a nut, as shown, the assembly of retainer and nut is so mounted on During the stage of unscrewing, reverse rotation is passed through the structure and the aperture I5, to enterthe fastener unit II from the rear. Assuming a right-hand thread I. the nut will be subjected to a rotation counterclockwise of Fig. 1 upon making up the screw into the nut. It is therefore desirable to strike the tab 20 at the'side of the fastener unit II which is away from the direction of rotation of the unit, so that the unit will be restrained against rotation by engagement of its flange-portion with the wall I4 of the retainer, rather than by engagement of the flange portion with the struck-up tab 20.

takes place, and the flange I8 will strike against the edge of the tab 20 and be restrained against rotation; but during this operation the rotative strain imposed upon the nut II is less than when it is turned in the opp site direction to tightened relation, as will be understood. The tab 20 will not be overridden or subjected to such pressure that it will be damaged.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, each opening II through the walls Id of the retainer I0 is of maximum width. and after the unit II is positioned within the retainer, with the wings I8 thereof extending through the apertures thereof, a pair of tabs 20, 20 is struck up from the base I2 of the retainer. The disposition of the tabs 20 with respect to the rotation of the nut II is as above discussed, so that the nut will be restrained against rotation by engagement with the end walls of th slots I6, I1.

In order to space a retainer I0 away from a wall .or solid structure, and thus to retain the characteristic of adjustabilit-y of the units II with respect tothe retainers, the wall or walls ll of the retainer may, at convenient intervals, be flanged outwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, to provide a short'tab or extension 2I which projects beyond thewall I 4 greater than does the wing I8 of the lunit II when the unit is displaced laterally with respect to retainer III to the maximum extent permitted bythe relative dimensions of the assembly.

In a third embodiment of the invention, see Figs. 7 and 8, a retainer I011 is similar in configuration to the retainer I II of Fig. 1, and accordingly has side walls I40, I40 having slotsv I60, I10 'in the plane of the base I20.

The fastener unit housing IIO has spaced flangeslla, l80b at its respective sides, instead of the 'imperforate flanges I8 of the housing II.

The lengths of the slots I60, I10 are the same, relative to the housing III], as the corresponding slots I6, ll, of Fig. 1, thereby affording means for inserting the housing IIII into position in the retainer.. To secure the housing in position withinflthe retainer, tabs 200 are struck up from one orQboth sides of the retainer I00, said tabs projecting upwardly and within the space between the flanges I8Ila, I8Ilb. The relative dimensioning of the respective parts is again such as to afford a limited degree of transverse and lateral adjustability.

Whereas it is obvious that among others the several objects of the invention as specifically afore noted are achieved, it is apparent that numerous changes in construction and rearrangements of the parts might be resorted to tion asdefined by I claim:

the claims.

1. A, floating fastener comprising a channel member, the side walls and base thereof having apertures which are generally in transverse alignment, a fastenerelement disposed on said base, said fastener element being provided with a body and wing portions, the wing portions extending through the apertures in said side walls, the maximum length from wing to wing of the fastener element being greater than the maxi-' mum transverse dimension of the channel, and the width of the body of the fastener being less than the inner wall to wall dimension of the channel member, whereby said fastener element may be positioned between the side walls of the channel member, the length of the apertures being such that rotation of the fastener element in the plane of the base will permit the said wingportions to enter and extend through the respective apertures; and an abutment extending upwardly from the base adjacent the fastener element to prevent such rotation of the same which would permit removal from the retainer.

2. A floating fastener. comprising a retainer member having a base, spaced wall means extending upwardly from said base and deflning therewith elongate apertures in substantial registry, a fastener element disposed on said base and having flanges extending through said apertures, the width of said flanges being less than the length of said apertures, and an abutment extending upwardly from said base adjacent said fastener element to loosely hold the fastener element within said retainer.

3. A floating fastener comprising the combination with a member having a-base and side walls, said side walls having apertures in mutual registry, of a fastener element disposed on said base and having wing portions extending through. saidapertures, the length of said apertures being greater than the width of thewing portions, and tab means extending upwardly from said base intermediate the ends of the respective side wall apertures and disposed adjacent one of said wing portions to retain the fastener element relatively loosely within the side wall apertures.

4. A floating fastener comprising the combination with a retainer having a base and side walls extending upwardly therefrom, said side walls having apertures, a fastener element disposed on said base and having wing portions extending through said apertures, the length of onset said apertures being materially greater.

base and spaced side walls, said side walls having elongate apertures therethrough, a fastener effective length of the side wall aperturesito prevent rotation of the fastener unit to an extent sumcient to withdraw the wing portions through the apertures. v 6. Afastener unit comprising a, retainer havand having wing'portions extending through the apertures thereof, and tab means on said retainer adjacent a side edge of one of said wing portions for reducing the effective length of said longer aperture to a length substantially equal to the length of the shorter aperture.

7. A fastener unit comprising a retainer having spaced side walls, elongate apertures in said side walls, in mutual registry, one of said apertures being materially longer than the other, a fastener unit disposed intermediate said side walls and having wing portions extending through the apertures thereof, and an abutting wall in said retainer adjacent the longer of the side wall apertures thereof to reduce the effective length of said longer aperture to a length substantially equal to that of the shorter aperture.

retainer having a base and upwardly extending wall portions, apertures in the side walls, a fastener unit disposed on said base and having wing portions projecting through the apertures in said side wall, one of said side wall apertures being substantially longer than the width of the wing portion extending therethrough, and an abutment in said retainer disposed intermediate the ends of said longer aperture and adjacent a side edge of said wing portion.

9. A fastener comprising a retainer having a 40 base and side walls extending upwardly thereunit disposed intermediate said side walls and v having wing portions extending'through the apfrom, elongate apertures formed in said side walls, a nut positioned between said side walls, said nut having wing portions extending lateralLv therefrom for passage into said side wall apertures, the length of one of said apertures being materially in excess of the width of its associated wing portion, and an abutment provided on said retainer adjacent the said longer aperture to reduce the efiective length thereof substantially to that of the shorter aperture, said abutment being so disposed with respect to the said wing portion that the tendency of the nut to rotate upon the insertion of a screw \thereinto will be away from the said abutment.

10. A floating fastener comprising a retainer member having a base and spaced wall means extending upwardly therefrom, said wall means deflning with the base, elongate apertures in mutual registry, a fastener unit having spaced flanges extending from opposite sides thereof,

said spaced flanges extending through the respective apertures in relatively loose association with said side walls, said base having raised portions between the spaced flanges to limit the movement of the fastener unit with respect to the base.

11. A floating fastener comprising a retainer member having a base and spaced side walls having apertures therein which are generally aligned transversely, a fastener unit disposed on said base and having flanges extending laterally through such aligned apertures, at least one of said flanges being bifurcated, and a tab struck area between the'flange bifurcations to a height 8. A fastenercomprlsing, in combination, a

tures therethrough, a fastener unit disposed between said side walls and having wing portions extending through said apertures, the effective length of said apertures being such that a limited longitudinal movement is permitted said fastener unit, and a flange extendingoutwardly from a side wall of said retainer and projecting beyond the maximum extent of projection of a wing portion of said fastener unit through the 10 said aperture.

J MILLS SUMMERS. 

